It was a pretty normal Tuesday morning. Rocky and I left the apartment at 5:30. He picked the direction (left) and we made it two blocks before he pulled me aside to pee on a shrub. Once that matter of business was behind us, we continued to the corner, where I spotted a couple of chipped chairs sitting next to the curb by the recycling bin. I looped Rocky’s leash over my wrist and stopped to inspect the chairs. One was missing a leg. The other had a torn cushion. To most people, they were trash.
To me, they were inventory.
I pulled a Post-it pad from my cross-body bag, wrote “Mad4Mod” on it, and stuck it to the chair. If Jeff—the usual Tuesday trash man—was on the route today, he’d leave the chairs so I could come back for them. Just in case, I pulled them away from the curb and Rocky and I continued on our walk.
By the time we’d circled the block, I picked up a roll of retro wrapping paper and an unidentifiable smudge of filth from the Dumpster I jumped while trying to salvage a Tiki collection. Turns out the owner’s wife had tossed it after he insulted her dinner, and who am I to come between a Tiki collection and its original owner? I handed the collection off to him piece by piece in exchange for help getting out of the Dumpster. Good times.
When I got home, I carried the Dallas Morning News into my apartment and combed through the obituaries. I’d amassed a good portion of the Mad for Mod inventory by identifying women of a certain age who had never renovated their houses and making offers to their next-of-kin, but ever since the newspaper had run a profile of me after I helped catch a killer, I’d found it harder to fly under the radar. For the last nine months, more of my inventory came from the trash than from private residences, which meant it needed a little TLC before I could use it.
That’s where Hudson entered the picture. Hudson was my ace in the hole, my confidant, and my handyman. He had mad-skills in the form of furniture restoration and sometimes even did small favors for me for the cost of a decent bottle of red wine. And just because his cat didn’t like my dog was no reason to cut him out of my life.
After finishing with the paper, I headed back for the chairs. The trash truck was early. I ran to the corner—slowly, because my knee injury kept me from running anything faster than a pathetic jog—and waved my arms. “Jeff!” I called out.
An unfamiliar blond man hung his head out the window. “Jeff’s on vacation, lady. Sorry.” He pulled away from the curb before I could negotiate for the trash he’d just picked up.
I walked home. A police cruiser drove past me, and I looked the other way. If anybody on the police force wanted to find me, they knew where to look. Otherwise, I was going to get back to life as I knew it.
Dumpsters. Obituaries. Doris Day movies. Interior Decorating.
As far as I was concerned, there wasn’t much that would pull me out of my routine.
I showered and changed into a red and white checked vintage ensemble. (My clothes, much like my inventory, come from the Eisenhower Era. It was like being a walking ad for my mid-century modern interior decorating business.) I ran a few errands, ending with a trip to the paint store for a couple gallons of daisy yellow paint.
When I got home, I picked up the mail and carried the paint supplies inside. I should have left the mail on the desk and gotten straight to painting my living room.
If I had, everything might have turned out differently.
Diane is giving away one (1) copy of PILLOW STALK and THAT TOUCH OF INK. Leave a comment to be included in the giveaway. Contest ends August 5; US entries only.
You can read more about Madison in That Touch of Ink, the second book in the “Mad For Mod” mystery series, published by Polyester Press. The first book in the series is Pillow Stalk.
Meet the author
Diane is a textbook Capricorn. She writes mysteries, and she loves clothes. She launched her own detective agency at ten years old and have maintained a passion for shoes, clues, and clothes ever since.
She is a Pennsylvanian at heart, but currently live in Southern California. Diane has two current series: the Style & Error Mysteries and the Mad for Mod Mysteries. She is also working on the Fabric Shop Mystery Series for Berkley Prime Crime. (“When Polyester Monroe inherited her family’s fabric store she expected to find dusty yards of velvet and lace. What she didn’t expect was a dead body.”) Watch for more news about this series in the future!
You can reach Diane at her website, on Twitter or on Facebook
Books are available at retail and online booksellers.
Maybe it’s because I am a fellow Capricorn, who loves mysteries and clothes and just happened to work as a detective for awhile – but this sounds like a great read! Please enter me for the chance to win a copy. Thanks!
This sounds like a fun series. I’m looking for the first one….Dee
I remember that as a child people put out stuff one day a month for pickup. I found books that people had actually thrown away! I know I would enjoy this book! Thank you for the giveaway!
As the saying goes, someone’s trash , is someone else treasure .
I love finding wonderful treasures, and I’d love to win this book.
Wish I could enter this contest. I’ve read some of the “Style & Error Mysteries” and am looking forward to reading this one. Good luck to everybody who enters!
This book sounds right up my alley, and I’m a Capricorn too ! Would love to win, thanks for the chance !
Sounds really good. Thanks for the chance to win.
What a great series! I would love to win this book! Thanks,Dru!
LOVE this description of your character’s day, Diane!
“Dumpsters. Obituaries. Doris Day movies. Interior Decorating.” What more could a reader ask for? 🙂 LOVE the idea of the Tiki owner helping her out of the dumpster. And the whole retro thing, like wearing the clothing of the period, as a “walking advertisement.”
(Did you, by any chance, know my late mother? Some used the words, “scavenger and hoarder.” We preferred “collector and collections.” Love “inventory.” This looks like a terrific read!
This sounds great, My dad always found things that people were tossing and brought them home and fixed them up.
I am currently reading this book. It is fab! The first book, Pillow Stalk, was great! I look forward to more books in this series.
I’m in. I was hooked from the start where she’s walking the dog. I liked the line about “to some people they were trash, to me they were inventory.” And I’m getting more and more interested in vintage clothing the older I get. This character sounds like someone I could be friends with, and the series definitely sounds worthy of buying in real book.
This sounds like a fun read!
I’ve read her Pillow Stalk and loved it! Doris day has always been a favorite of mine. All things Doris! I’m. So glad to see that there’s. a second in the series. I’m looking forward to reading it. Thanks for the review and heads up…and the giveaway
I think I have read one of her books, if not I definitely need to get started on this series.
Sounds perfect forme.
What fun a retro mystery. I will be sure to check out this series.
Can a Pisces join in on the fun? I love the whole premise of the book and the part about the cat and dog strikes a chord in me. We have a lovely cat and wonderful dog who do not get along.
I love Doris Day and Mid-Century Modern houses, etc! This sounds like a fun series. 🙂
Grew up in Dallas, have walked alleys in University Park and gotten treasures, still have a remarkable small table in my bedroom, so this is a perfect series for me. I have said a small prayer for myself.
I’d love to win one of Diane’s mysteries. I know they’ll be a fun read.
Would love to win a copy of one of these – they look like a fun read.
What a delightful series idea! You’ve got me hooked.
I love to find something I want for free—so many people throw out good items. I think I’ll like this lady—want to read the book. Thanks for the contest.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
It is amazing what one can find left at the curb for pick up. The ultimate recycling.
Sounds a bit like my life. I had a friend who lived not far from Doris Day when she lived in Ohio. Both books sound like they would be fun to read. Count me in. Thanks. judydee22002@yahoo dot com
Thanks for giving Madison such a nice reception! She’s definitely happy that you didn’t judge her for Dumpster-diving early in the morning!
I’ve only just met Madison and I like her already. These books are sure to be full of fun. Please enter my name in the draw. carlscott(at)prodigy(dot)net(dot)mx
Thanks!
Thanks Diane for letting us into Madison’s world.
Diane is a new author to me, but….. she has been added to my author list along with all of her cozy mysteries series. This Madison novel sounds fantastic; I love to laugh while reading a mystery like this, and I think I will find that and more in “That Touch of Ink”. Can’t wait to get it.
Continued success Diane.
Sincerely,
Cynthia
Thank you, Dru, for inviting Madison to spend the day!
Several fun series to read!
Just added this series to my TBR list. Another great new addition. Looking forward to checking it out. Thanks for the give away. 🙂
Seems to be a great read, be adding this series to my list. Hoping my kids will get it for me, as C’mas or B day present.
I would love to have a job like Madison!
contest is closed.
can’t wait to get this series, it sounds like a hoot.